This invention relates to sports garments in general, and in particular to a sports garment for women which provides comfortable breast support during physical activity, by preventing excessive breast movement, and which substantially eliminates irritations from chafing and the like, which would otherwise result from those movements of the breast which cannot be prevented.
As exercise and physical fitness in general become more popular in the United States, women who engage in this activity often experience pain and discomfort caused by breast movement. One form of discomfort results from chafing and rubbing of the breasts and nipples against clothing. Such a condition associated with jogging has been identified, and designated as "Jogger's Nipple". Sagging and tearing of breast tissue can also occur when breasts are inadequately supported during exercising and sports activity.
As an avid jogger, I sought a garment which would provide the necessary support and comfort. I determined rather quickly that conventional brassieres, even those purportedly designed for sports activities, were incapable of providing the type of support and protection required. I experimented by wearing two conventional brassieres simultaneously. Notwithstanding the trials of uncounted numbers of combinations of conventional brassieres, I was unable to produce a suitable, convenient to use arrangement. I learned that many combinations seemed comfortable at first, providing ample support, but that after a time, a certain looseness developed. This looseness completely negated the initially beneficial effects, and could not be compensated for. It became apparent that a novel arrangement would be necessary. As I considered the problem, I noted that vigorous physical activity resulted in substantial losses of body fluids, primarily through sweating. A curious effect of this fluid loss, particularly in women, is a decrease in the size and/or fullness of the breasts. Other conditions as well are known which cause changes in breast size. Working from my initial considerations of a double layer or double brassiere configuration, I constructed a garment along those lines. The inner brassiere or liner was made from a soft, smooth material, preferably fastening in front, as in many conventional brassieres. The outer brassiere, or flaps overfitting the breasts, was made from a stronger material. In place of a conventional clasp, the outer flaps were provided with an easily adjusted cinchable connection, so that the desired amount of supporting pressure could be provided. As physical activity commenced, causing the breasts to become smaller, and causing the garment material to stretch, I found it an easy matter to release the connection of the outer flaps, and recinch them tighter, as often as necessary. Most ,women wear pullover shirts or sweat shirts while exercising, meaning that adjustment of a brassiere requires a cessation of a physical activity in a place of reasonable privacy. When wearing my invention while jogging, I am able, for example, to simply reach under my shirt and adjust the garment without stopping and without being embarrassed. By permitted independent movement of the inner layer and outer flaps of my invention, the inner layer protects against chafing and the outer flaps protect against tissue damage. The cinchable connection assures that ample support can be maintained throughout the period of physical activity.
The use of a double layer construction in conventional foundation garments, such as corsets, is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,281 discloses a garment having a back part and a front part which contains stiffening members, elastic inserts between both parts, and a covering for the front part formed by an extension of the back part from either side of its point of attachment to the front part.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,240,510 discloses a corset which combines a brassiere formed of two members, the front edges of which attach together, and an extensible fabric connecting the back edges to the inner back of the corset, each member extending a suitable distance above and below the upper edge of the corset.
My invention comprises an inner liner and outer breast supporting flaps overfitting the liner, the inner liner and outer flaps being independently displaceable, at least in the area adjacent the breasts, and the flaps being adjustably cinchable.
Despite the use of a double layer construction, neither of these references suggests the use of a lining having breast engaging pockets which is overfitted by interconnecting breast supporting flaps, the lining and flaps being independently displaceable, at least in the area adjacent the breasts. The above references provide breast support in a manner which either merely flattens or lifts. Neither reference provides the inward pressure which is created by applicant's invention and neither provides protection against chafing. The noted references also deal primarily with flattening the abdominal area and breast support seems to be only a secondary consideration.